President. we annexed the Hawaiian Islands on the 12th of last August and made them a part of the United States. In the debate which then occurred the opponents of annexation stated that the climate was a tropical climate. and therefore that it would not be peopled by Americans or races of our blood. that the population would remain a tropical population. that the population would be such as to be incapable of maintaining selfgovernment under our Constitution. I do not now wish to discuss the question. but I wish to put in the RECORD certain facts with regard to the immigration to Hawaii since annexation. On the 23d of December. 1898. there were 14.397 Japanese and Chinese contract laborers or slave laborers employed upon the Hawaiian sugar plantations. and there were 7.601 day laborers so employed. Since our flag went up in Hawaii. from August 12. 1898. to the 6th day of January. 1899. there have been imported 7.630 contract laborers. Since the 6th of January and up to the 2d of February of this year there have been 2.782 contract laborers brought to the Hawaiian Islands. or a total to February 2. 1899. of 10.412. This labor is slave labor. The laborers are under contract for a term of service.
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immigration contract laborers